Damper-operating device



E. H. WHITE.

DAMPER OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLLCATION FILED APR. 11, I918.

1,359,941. Patented Nov. 23,1920.

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E. H. WHITE.

DAMPER OPERATiNG DEVICE APPucA oN men APR. 11, 1918.

1,359,941 Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

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EVERETT H. WHITE, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

DAMPER-OPERATING DEVICE.

Application filed April 11 T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVERETT H. WHITE a citizen of the United States, residin at s. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and btate of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Damper-Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to damper-operating devices of the type in which an electric motor is used to operate a shaft controlling the position of the dampers, which shaft will be instantly stopped when the dampers have reached their proper positions. The object in particular is to provide a device of this kind in which the motor can be operated by either direct or alternating currents. A further object is to provide a'short circuit through which the operation of the motor 1s continued as soon as the device has been put in operation by current passing through a circuit. including a thermostat and an electro-magnet. vide improved means for stopping thefdam; per-operating shaft in the exact'positionto determine the proper setting for the damers.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof andare particularly pointed out the claims. A

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate my invention in a preferred form,-.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with a portion of the casing removed. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. l but show ing the oscillating magnet in its lowered Cposition. Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of the cvice.

The frame of the device includes a rear plate 10, a bottom plate 12 and a front sup port 14. The plate 12 may have its ends bent downwardly to provide feet 16. Toward one end of the plate 12 are two upwardly-extending standards 18 and 20 upon which is secured an electric motor 22. The drive shaft of themotor has secured'to it a pinion 24 .which meshes with a gear 26 frictionally held on a shaft 28. This shaft is mounted in a lug 30 on the upper end of the standard 20 and in a standard 32 which is at the'other end of the, bottom plate.

. The gear 26 is frictionally held on the shaft 28 in the following manner. A sleeve 34 is pinned to the shaft and integral with one A further object is to pro- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

, 1918. Serial No. 227,863.

end of this sleeve is a disk 36. Loosely mounted on the shaft is a disk 38 and the gear 26 is positioned on the. sleeve 34 in frictional engagement with the disks I36 and 38. A coil spring 40 is secured at one end to the disk 38 and at its other end is secured to theishaft 28. This shaftis formed with a worm 42 which meshes with a worm gear secured to a transverse shaft 46by means of an integral collar 48 having a set-screw 50 which is screwed into engagement with the shaft. The shaft is journaled'in the plate 10 and the support 14 and extends out beyond the same on both sides a short distance in order that arms 52 may be secured thereto, which arms may be connected to the dampers of a boiler or furnace to open and close them in the usual manner. 7

In order to stop the action of the arms 52 1 at certain fixed predetermined positions, I employ the device shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Int'e al with the disk 38 is an arm 54 whic is adapted to coeperate with a stop arm 56 which forms an extension of an oscillating over-balanced frame carrying an electro-magnet 58. The arm 56 extends rearwardly in an inclined position as shown in Fig.2 and is provided with a portion 61 which is at right angles to the shaft 46.- It isthen benttwice at right angles to form a rear portion 59 and a .portion 60 parallel with the portion 61. The shaft 46 passes through alined openings in the portions 60 and 61, the portion 60 abutting a ainst the collar 48, while the portion 61 a uts against a collar 64 secured to the shaft inside of the support 14. The electro-magnet 58 is secured to an arm 66 which in turn )is rigidly secured to the member 59. The armature 68 is pivotally supported from the arm 66 and a spring 70 holds the armature away from the electro-magnet when the latter is not energized. The gear wheel 44 is provided with six pins, designated by the character 72, and these pins are so positioned as to engage the end of the armature when the wheel is rotated to thereby lift the electro-magnet, it being understood that the latter is not energized at this time. In Fig. 3- the electro-magnet is shown in its tilted or down position resting upon the buffer 74, which is secured tothe standard 32. It is evident, therefore, that with the electro-magnet in this position and deenergized, when one of the pins 72 engages the end of the armature, the whole frame which supports it, including the stop arm 56, will be swung into the position shown in Fig. 1,. This brings the stop arm in position to be engaged by the rotating arm 54.

Mounted upon the base and: insulated therefrom are seven binding posts, designated as 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81 and 82. The transformer has the ends of its secondary coil 84 connected to the posts 81 and 82. These two posts are connected by the wire 86, and the post 80 is connected with one terminal of the motor by the wire 88. The other terminal of the motor is connected by a wire 90- with a contact finger 92 supported upon and insulated from the base plate. Mounted adjacent the contact finger 92 is another contact finger 94 similarly supported and which is connected with one terminal of the electro-magnet by a wire 96. Adapted for cooperation with the contact fingers 92 and 94 is a contact arm 98 which is secured to the electro-magnet frame but is insulated therefrom. A wire 100 connects this arm with the post 82.

Attached to the plate 10 and concentrically spaced from the shaft 46 is an annular plate 99 formed of insulating material. Secured to the plate99 are six contact fingers 101, 102, 103, 104., 105 and 106. These fingers at their outer ends are secured to the plate 99 and are provided with curved inner ends which are adapted to be engaged and lifted by an arm 108 which is secured to a collar 110 which in turn is secured to, the shaft-46, the arm being insulated from the collar. The purpose of the arm 108 is to lift the contact fingers from the fixed contact members with which they are associated, and which are designated respectively at 111, 112,. 113, 114, 115 and 116. The contact members 111, 116, 115' and 114, in order, are connected to each other by wires as shown in Fig. 4. On the plate 99 is a binding post 118 to which the second terminal of the electro-magnet is connected by a wire 120. The post 118 is also connected to the wire which connects the contact members 114 and 115. The contact member 112 is connected with the finger 106 by a wire 122, while the contact member 113 is connected with the finger 105 by a wire 123.

Referring now to the binding posts 76, 7 7 78 and 79, as shown in Fig. 4, it will be noticed that the post 76 is connected with the finger 104 by a wire 126, the post 77 is connected with the finger 103 by a wire 127, the post 78 is connected with the. finger 102 by a wire 128 and the post 79 isconnected with the finger 101 by a wire 129." The posts 76, 77, 78 and 79 are connected respectively with the fixed contacts 130, 131, 132

and 133 of a suitable thermostat by wires 136, 137, 138 and 139, while the movable con- 1 through forty-five tact member 134 of the thermostat is connected by a wire 140 with the binding post 80, which as previously stated is connected through the binding post 81 to one terminal of the motor. Referring to .the fixed contacts of the thermostat, 130 corresponds to the open position of the draft door, 131 corresponds to the half-open position, 132 corresponds to the quarter-open position, while 133 corresponds to the closed position thereof.

The operation of the device will be understood from the foregoing description. In the normal or raised position of the de vice, the arm 108 has lifted one of the fingers 101, 102, etc., and has opened the circuit in which that finger is located. At this time the member 134 has closed the same circuit at the thermostat, all the remaining circuits at the thermostat being broken, and hence all of the circuits at this time are open. As soon as the member 134 shifts to another contact, one of the other circuits is closed and the motor is set in operation. It continues to be energized until the arm 108 lifts the corresponding contact finger,

whereby the circuit is broken. In the arrangement shown, when the finger 101 is lifted the draft door is closed, when the finger 102 is lifted the draft door is a quarter open, when the finger 103 is lifted the draft door is half open and when the finger 104 is lifted the draft door is fully open. It is evident that the draft door also takes the quarter-open position when the finger 106 is lifted, and takes the half-open position when the finger 105 is lifted. For this reason the circuit breakers '102112 and 106116 are ,connected in series, as are also the circuit breakers 103-113 and 105-415, so that if either of the two circuit breakers for one position of the draft door bev engaged by the arm 108, the draft door will be correctly opened and the damper arms will travel the minimum amount in arriving at the desired position. In other words, the damper arms will need to travel only degrees instead of through one hundred and thirty-five degrees.

It is not possible to stop the motor at the instant that the circuit is broken, and hence the stop arms -54 and 56 and the slip connection for the gear 26 are provided. It is evident that when a circuit is completed, the electro-magnet in energized and drops from normal position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3. The contact arm 98 moves off from the contact finger 94, and hence the circuit through the wire 96 is broken. The arm 98 moves into contact with the finger 92 and hence the current passes through a short circuit through the wire 90, the finger 92, the arm 98, the wire 100 and the wire 88 to operate the motor.

By deenergizing the electric magnet immediately after the motor starts, arcing atthe contact points of the thermostat is prevented. When one of the pins 72 engages the end of the armature to lift the electromagnet the arm 98 is gradually moved off from the finger 92 and on to the finger 94, but before .said arm engages the arm 108 lifts one of the fingers 101, 102, etc., and hence the magnet is not energized. The shaft 46 is stopped in the proper position by the engagement of the arm 54 with the stop arm 56. The motor armature, however, has considerable momentum, due to its velocity, and the spring 40' serves to absorb the energy of the same and hence tends to wind up. I As soon as the energy is absorbed, the spring recoils and the pressure of the arm 54 on the stop arm 56 is relieved, so that when the electro-magnet is again energized position. It is of course evident that when the device is operated by direct current the transformer is not used.

I claim:

1. A damper-controlling device comprising a thermostat, an electric motor adapted 'to be set to be set into operation thereby, a rotatable member operated by said motor, a damperoperating shaft adapted to be turned by said motor, a wheel on said shaft, aserie's of pins on said wheel corresponding to different positions of the dampers, an oscillating overbalanced member, means on said latter member adapted tobe selectively engaged by said pins to swing the member to normal position, and a stop on said member engaged by said rotatable member when said oscillating member is in normal position.

2. A damper-controllingdevice comprising a thermostat, an electric motor adapted to be set into operation thereby, a rotatable arm operated by said motor, a damper-operating shaft adapted to beturned by said motor, a wheel on said shaft, a series of pins on said wheel corresponding to different positions of the dampers, an oscillating overbalanced frame, releasable means on said frame adapted to be selectively engaged by said pins to swing said frame to normal position, a stop arm on said frame engaged by said rotatable arm when said frame is in normal position, and means for releasing said releasable means when said thermostat changes from one predetermined position to another.

3. A damper-controlling device comprisg a-thermostat, an electric motor adapted into operation thereby, a rotatable arm operated by said motor, a damper-opto be turned by said motor, a wheel on said shaft, a series of pins on said wheel corresponding to different positions of the dampers, an osclllating overbalanced frame, an electro-magnet on the finger 94,

it may readily drop into its lower I said frame, the armature of which is adapted to be selectively engaged by said pins to swing said frame to normal position, a stop arm on said frame engaged by said rotatable arm when said frame is in normal position, and means for energizing said motor and said magnet when said thermostat changes from one determined position to another.

4. A damper-controlling device comprising a thermostat, an electric motor adapted to be set into operation thereby, a rotatable arm operated by said motor, a damper-operating shaft adapted to be turned by said motor, a wheel on said shaft, a series of l pins on said wheel corresponding to different positions of the dampers, an oscillating overbalanced frame, an elector-magnet on said frame, the armature of which is adapted to be selectively engaged by said pins to swing said frame to normal posi.- tion, a stop arm on said frame engaged by said rotatable arm when said frame is in 4 normal position, means for energizing said motor and said magnet when said thermostat changes from one predetermined position to another, and means for deenergizing said electro-magnet when said frame is released.

5. A damper-controlling device comprising a thermostat, an electric motor adapted to be set into operation thereby, a rotatable arm operated by said motor, a damper-operating shaft adapted to be turned by said motor, a wheel on saidshaft, a series of pins on said wheel corresponding to different ositions of the dampers, an oscillating .over alanced frame, an electro-magnet on said. frame, the armature of which is adapted to be selectively engaged by said pins to swing said frame to normal position, a stop arm on said frame engaged by said rotatable arm when said frame is in normal position, means for energizing-said motor and said magnet when said thermostat changes from one predetermined position to another, means for 'deenergizing said electro-magnet when said frame is released, and means for denergizing said motor shortly before said frame is restored to normal position.

6. A damper-controlling device comprising a thermostat, an electric motor adapted to be set in operation thereby, a damper-op- -'erating shaft adapted to be turned by said motor, an electro-magnet mounted to oscillate, a contact arm mounted to oscillate with said'magnet, a pair of contact fingers with which said contact arm engages successively while moving from one position to another, a circuit which includes the thermostat, the electro-magnet and the motor when said contact arm is engaged with one of said fingers, and a connection from said contact arm to the motor for forming a short circuit for the latter when the contact arm is engaged with other of said fingers.

7. A damper-controlling device comprising a motor, a pinion on the motor shaft, a

- gear with which said pinion meshes, a shaft last-mentioned disk and its other end secured to said shaft, an arm on said lastmentloned disk, a stop arm, and means vfor bringing said stop arm into position to be 15 engaged by the previously-mentioned arm when the dampers have been moved to proper position.

-In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature. 1

EVERETT H. WHITE. 

